Over £1m Raised From Royal Wedding Gift Fund

A fund set up by the﻿﻿ Prince William and Kate Middleton before their wedding has raised £1,058,367 ($1,705,439) to be shared across 26 charities.

The couple set up the fund on April 29, six weeks before their wedding. Well-wishers wanting to give them wedding gifts were requested to donate to the fund or to the charities directly. These donations were accepted up until the end of last month.

The 26 charities, based in UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, were personally selected by the couple because they stand for causes close to their hearts. According to Reuters, these charities focus on five major causes: “Changing Lives through Arts and Sport; Children Fulfilling Their Potential; Help and Care at Home; Support for Service Personnel and Their Families and Conservation for Future Generations.” Each charity is expected to receive about £40,000.

Most of the revenue was raised via the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund website from the public and wedding guests. The rest of the donations came from sales from the official Royal Wedding Album and an official wedding brochure with the couple’s photograph.

According to a St James’ Palace spokesperson, the couple would like to pass their thanks for all the gifts and support.

The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry will distribute the funds.